


Getting Him Back

by ChillyHollow



Category: Cormoran Strike Series - Robert Galbraith
Genre: F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:07:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28302060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChillyHollow/pseuds/ChillyHollow
Summary: Sekrit Santa posting for the prompt "undercover/fake relationship"
Relationships: Matthew Cunliffe/Robin Ellacott, Robin Ellacott/Cormoran Strike
Comments: 8
Kudos: 31
Collections: Denmark Street Discord Sekrit Santa 2020





	Getting Him Back

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CupofTia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CupofTia/gifts).



Strike stretched and looked at his watch.The new client wasn’t due for another twenty minutes.Time to make himself a cup of tea and try to wake up.Last night’s surveillance had not ended until nearly 1 a.m. so he’d not been home in bed until 2, which meant he was tired today.

In the outer office he asked the temp if she wanted anything, but she said no.So he put the kettle on and went outside on the sidewalk for a quick smoke.By the time he was back, the water was boiling.He made tea for himself—he’d discovered Sandra was incapable of making a decent cup no matter how many times he explained how to make it—and took the mug into his office to drink it and look at the slim file on the new client.It was another woman whose man had cheated, at least that’s what it had sounded like on the phone to Sandra so who knows?If people stopped cheating on their partners, he’d go broke, but there was no danger of that happening.Not in London in the 21st Century!Strike sipped his tea, thinking of Charlotte.

Sandra was talking to someone in the outer office.Either his client was early or Sandra was talking on the phone to her friends again.Sighing, he got to up see which it was.It was the client, so he escorted her into his office.She was easy on the eyes, this Miss Ellacott, a tall blonde with a nice figure.She sat.He sat.They looked at each other.“You aren’t what I expected,” she blurted out.He raised an eyebrow and she blushed. 

“I’ve read about you, Mr. Strike.”He sighed.It seemed like most of his conversations with clients started out the same way these days.Inheriting a huge fortune from his famous rock star father had a downside beyond having to learn more than he ever wanted to know about British tax codes.“I expected someone better looking, frankly.”

“Is that a problem?” he asked. 

“It might be because of what I want to hire you to do.”

He was a little intrigued.Private investigators’ looks were normally irrelevant as long as you were good at looking like you weren’t watching what you were actually observing.And he was very good at that.“What do you want to hire me to do?” he asked.

“My boyfriend cheated on me.”He waited.This matched what Sandra had told him after talking to the client, which was a minor miracle given Sandra’s less-than-stellar clerical skills. “Then he left me to move in with his best friend’s fiancé.I want him back, Mr. Strike, and you are going to help me.”

“I’m a private detective, not a matrimonial counselor,” he reminded her.

“I know.I don’t want him back permanently—he’s slime—but I want him to want me back.I studied psychology in uni, Mr. Strike.The grass is always greener on the other side.Matt’s been living with Sarah over a month now, long enough for her charms to have worn off a bit.I want him to decide he’s made a mistake, ask to come back, and then I’ll turn him down flat.”

It sounded like a plot from a soap opera, Strike thought, or one of those reality shows that his sister was enthralled by.“Exactly how do you think I can help with your, ah, relationship issues?”

“You are going to pretend to be my new boyfriend.Sarah would have read all about you in the tabloids, about your inheritance, the famous beauties you’ve dated, and she’ll have blabbed to Matthew about it.I will pay you to go to several Christmas parties with me where they will see us.That’s all it will take, trust me.”

She didn’t look mental, Strike thought.Perhaps he should start vetting new clients more closely.Miss Ellacott must have picked up on his skepticism because she said, “You’re a private detective, right?”He nodded.“All I’m asking you to do is to pretend to be something you aren’t.You must do that all the time with your job.”

“I do but wouldn’t it be better for you to hire an actor or someone like that?”He deliberately didn’t say gigolo. (He’d become wary of upsetting clients with unguarded language after Mrs. Johnson had nearly fainted when he said “fuck” in front of her after tripping over her Pekinese which she’d brought to his office.)

“It has to be someone rich and famous.Matt worships those sorts and if someone with plenty of money who is well-known is taking me places, he’ll take notice all right.It’ll make him crazy jealous.I’ll pay you well, Mr. Strike,” she said, looking directly at him with lovely gray-blue eyes. 

He weakened enough to temporize.“Exactly what do you have in mind?” 

She told him.

******************************

Two weeks later Strike found himself in a new Italian suit with a crisp white shirt and a silk tie with his military insignia woven into it, ready to take part in the Ellacott Farce, Act 1.Miss Ellacott was quite organized.She had the venues where they would pretend to be a couple mapped out,had outfits chosen and reservations made in all the appropriate places.She herself was going to be wearing a little black dress just short enough to showcase her lovely legs with plain gold hoops in her ears.That was the only flaw in her plan.She needed better jewelry, something that a rich man might give his paramour.He raided his stepmother Jenny’s jewelry case and borrowed a pair of diamond and sapphire earrings that were not flashy but that screamed Money to those in the know.According to Ellacott, her ex’s girlfriend was the sort who knew the prices of expensive baubles.Pocketing the case with the earrings, he climbed into the limo he’d borrowed from his father’s estate and headed off to Ellacott’s flat.

He was going to have to remember to call her Robin. 

******************************

Robin was quite nervous.She’d talked Strike into this, overcoming all his objections ruthlessly.She knew he had reservations about her plan, but he didn’t know Matthew.Her only reservation was that she couldn’t understand Strike’s appeal toward women.He wasn’t handsome like Matt.He was a big guy with unruly hair and a broken nose.He looked surly some days, stern on others.He was a little overweight and he limped.Ordinarily she’d have assumed his money and fame had drawn women to him; there was a certain class of female who would overlook any physical flaws in a male if there was a big bank account attached.But he’d dated television presenters, actresses, models and society beauties long before he’d inherited more money than any one person could ever spend.She couldn’t see why any woman would be attracted to him.He was so different from Matthew, always the most handsome man in the room.Well, it was too late now.She had paid Strike every spare cent she could scrape together and had to go through with this now.She checked her hair and makeup and grabbed her phone which she put in her clutch purse.Then she twirled in front of the mirror.She looked good.“Eat your heart out, Matthew,” she thought as she headed to the front door to watch for her escort.

Strike was right on time.Robin saw a sleek limousine pull up on the street in front of her flat.A chauffeur opened the back door and Strike got out.He looked different somehow.She couldn’t put her finger on it but when she opened her front door to him, she realized he was in an expensive suit and tie instead of his normal shirt and sweater.She expected they’d get right in the car but he told her he had something for her to wear.Intrigued, she let him into her flat.He took a small box from his pocket and gave it to her.Robin frowned, looked at him and opened it.Inside were a pair of diamond and sapphire drop earrings.The center stone of each was a large diamond surrounded by tiny deep blue sapphires that fanned out around the edge of the larger stone.There were smaller diamonds on the ear studs, set in white gold.The earrings were gorgeous.

Strike said, “Borrowed these from my stepmother Jenny.You need something a little flasher than your hoops, although they are very pretty.”Robin knew he was right.With her hands shaking a bit she removed her own earrings and substituted the borrowed ones.She looked at herself in the mirror by the front door.She looked good.She looked up into Strike’s face reflected in the mirror.He was standing behind her, looking enigmatic as always, but he was smiling a little.“Thank you,” she whispered. 

“Come on,” he told her.“Don’t want to be late.Nice dress, by the way.”He shepherded her down the steps to the waiting car, where he and the chauffeur put her into the back seat.Strike joined her and they were off to opening night of the newest play at the Strand.

Robin knew Matt had tickets.He loved opening nights.She was impressed that Strike had gotten them a prime box, though.No one could miss seeing them in it.He escorted her to their box, made sure she was comfortable and ordered a glass of white wine for her.The play was a comedy and pretty funny. She found herself drawn into the story.Occasionally she looked at Strike.He was absorbed in the acting but he smiled at her and took her hand, then brought it to his lips to kiss it, his eyes dancing as he did so.She blushed at the romantic gesture.She began to understand his appeal to women. 

It took her a while to find Matt in the crowd as she was distracted by Strike and the play.He was in the mezzanine to her right, back about ten rows. Not bad seats but not great either.Sarah was next to him and she was avidly looking in Robin’s direction.Robin told Strike, “We’re under observation,” and he immediately touched her cheek and looked tenderly into her eyes.She grinned at him and suddenly he was grinning back.“Mission accomplished,” she told him.“Matt looks like he just bit into a lemon.” 

“Then we can relax and enjoy the rest of the play,” he told her.So they sat back in their seats and watched the rest of the show, Robin sipping her wine.Afterwards, they stood talking about the play at the front of their box seat, waiting for the worst of the crowd to disappear.Robin was surprised how insightful Strike’s comments were on the play and the acting.Then Strike escorted her, her arm in his, to the top of the opera house steps where the limo magically appeared in front of them.The chauffeur opened the door for her again and she got into the back seat.Out of the corner of her eye she saw Matthew standing on the steps, glaring at her, while Sarah pouted in the background.Robin ignored them and let herself be whisked away.Judging by the look on Matt’s face, Strike was certainly worth every penny she’d paid him. 

Back at her flat she asked Strike if he’d like to come in for coffee.He said yes.Before she removed the borrowed earrings she asked if he would also pose for photos for her social media account.He readily agreed.That was part of the deal he’d agreed to.He suggested they pose in front of her mirror. She turned her head a bit to show off the fabulous earrings.He put his big hands on her shoulders, smiled and his eyes danced.She took the shot and showed it to him.He approved.She made coffee and they drank it on her sofa while she removed the borrowed earrings and returned them to their case, then he rubbed her toes which were not used to her new shoes.“I could get used to this,” she thought.All too soon he had finished his coffee and was gone.

She posted the photo to her social media accounts, making sure she tagged it with his name.He’d told her the tabloids had people who went looking for things like this and it might show up in Hello’s website.She was counting on Matthew looking at her Instagram account at least.

******************************

Back at his flat, Strike got out of the fancy clothes and into sweat pants and a long sleeved t-shirt.It had been an unexpectedly fun evening.Ellacott was good company.Her ex must be a prime idiot, he thought while drinking a beer before bed with the match of the day playing in the background.Maybe he’d take Ellacott to a football match, he thought idly as he drank the last of his beer.

******************************

It only took two days before the tabloids got the story.Of course Robin’s Mum was already on it the next morning.She checked Facebook and Instagram the way some people studied the weather.“Folks are talking, love.Are you sure you’re ready to date, especially someone as high profile as this?”

“He’s a nice man, Mum,” Robin said, realizing it was nothing but the truth.“We had a good time at the play.”

“He’s not pressuring you into sex, is he, love?”

“MUM!Of course not.We’re just friends.”

The thought of Strike pressuring her was ridiculous.At least her mother didn’t seem to realize those earrings Robin was wearing were worth thousands of pounds.Work was a different story.The partners certainly had an eye for jewelry and some of them were already treating her as if she was a kept woman.Robin didn’t know whether to be amused or offended.She finally decided she was amused as the partners who thought she was sleeping with Strike just to enjoy the high life seemed to treat her with more respect.Of course they’d not seen his somewhat shabby office.

******************************

The next high profile event Strike and Robin were attending together was the opening of a new branch of Matthew’s favorite restaurant, The Mango Tree.Matthew had been talking about this for months since the new branch was in Mayfair close to his offices.Cormoran had managed an invitation somehow; Robin suspected he’d just said the magic words “Rokeby.”The restaurant was dressy casual, so Robin was in slacks and a green sweater that added red highlights to her blonde hair.This time she was wearing her gold hoops and half boots and carrying the leather purse her parents had gotten her for her birthday.She thought she looked good.

Her phone buzzed with a text message.It was Strike, telling her he and the car would be there to pick her up in five minutes.She put her phone in her purse, turned off most of the lights in her flat, and headed to the front door.She watched for the limo but was surprised to see a sleek dark blue Mercedes appear in front of her building.Strike got out of the driver’s seat and opened the passenger side door for her.He was limping.She suddenly remembered the stories about his losing his lower leg to a roadside bomb she’d seen when researching him before she’d hired him.

“Do you want me to drive?” she asked.“It’ll make us seem more of a couple.”

He thought about it, then nodded.She took the keys and went around to the driver’s side, opened the door, and got in.Strike closed it for her, then walked around the car boot to climb into the passenger side.She took a minute to look at the controls, then confidently put the car in gear and pulled away from the curb.She was amused to see Strike was holding onto the door handle in some anxiety.She showed off a bit with her driving, overtaking slow traffic smoothly, choosing the correct lane with accuracy, changing gears and making it look effortless.He began to relax by the time they reached the restaurant. 

“You are a good driver,” he said.

“I love to drive,” she told him.“Your Mercedes is great to handle, too, much nicer than my old Land Rover.”

“It’s not really mine.I don’t own a car,” he told her.

“Didn’t you inherit it from your father?”

“What I inherited is my siblings and stepmothers and the obligation to keep them in the style which our father created for them.They mostly use the cars;I mostly pay for their upkeep out of his royalties.”

Robin looked at her passenger and thought of her family, close and loving, even if she found them annoying sometimes.She never would be responsible for them, even if she and her brothers would eventually care for their parents as a team as they grew older and perhaps feeble.She turned her attention back to the road, as she didn’t think her companion would want her sympathy. 

She parked neatly and handed the keys to the valet.She gave the ticket to Strike who put it in his pocket, then took her hand.They walked into the restaurant where the maitre’d greeted them happily, then seated them in a prime table where they could watch the food being prepared through a glass window.Robin noticed Matthew sitting with Sarah and some people she didn’t know at a small table next to the traffic in and out of the kitchen.He was glaring at her.She turned her attention to Strike who gave her a soft smile and asked her what she would like to drink.

Strike might have once labeled this dinner Ellacott Farce, Act 2, but it was a nice evening.Robin was intelligent and observant and funny in a gentle way.He asked her which one was her ex and she told him how to spot Matthew."The clean-cut guy with the chiseled chin next to the buxom blonde in yellow? You are much better looking.”

“Well, Sarah’s more like Matt.They both care about appearances, making more money, buying a nice house and car and having a better vacation than anyone else at work.They are better suited than Matt and I ever were.But we started dating in sixth form and I didn’t learn that you need more than good looks for someone to be a suitable partner until much later.I was too sheltered, I guess.”

Strike covered her hand on the table with one of his big ones.They looked at each other, then both lowered their eyes.Strike said,“I certainly understand the thrill of dating the best looking person although I didn’t lead a sheltered life.My ex Charlotte stops traffic with her looks.But ultimately she was toxic and we broke up.”He sat back, removing his hand.“Would you like dessert?”

Robin chose chocolate layer cake and Strike picked a creme brûlée.The food was good, Robin had to admit.She was enjoying it and the company.Strike was attentive without being cloying, clever but kind in his remarks.She understood his appeal to women much better now, with his sexy smile and the fact that he actually listened to what one said.It made for a nice change.She was starting to realize just how lacking Matthew was in common courtesy and worldly wisdom.Strike had broadened her horizons way beyond the normal boundaries of a small town girl from the wilds of Yorkshire.

“Tell me about your ex Charlotte,” she ventured.“You know all about Matt and me.”

“Not much to tell.We met at uni and were together off and on for years.She’s clever, hilarious, and the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Her family is even more dysfunctional than mine and we both didn’t want kids, so we had lots in common.She was good to me when I first lost my leg.Being a cripple with the most beautiful woman in London on my arm, well, it helped. But she is pathological in her need for constant attention.She hated my job because it took my attention away from her.She finally did something I couldn’t overlook and I walked out.She got engaged to someone else two weeks later and married him a few months later.She just had twins.”

“Do you miss her?”

“Sometimes.Do you miss Matthew?”

“Occasionally, but not often now.I miss cuddling with someone, the physical contact, the most.” 

“You won’t have any trouble finding a new guy.You are a very good-looking woman.”

“Thank you,” she said, feeling a little let down.Being “very good-looking” was nothing compared to being “the most beautiful woman in London.”As if he sensed her change in mood, Strike asked if she was ready for him to take her home.She nodded, the waiter appeared and Strike paid the bill.He helped her into her coat and they strolled out to the pavement where the Mercedes was waiting, the motor running and the valet on guard.Robin climbed back into the driver’s seat, Strike joined her in front, and they left.

Robin drove in silence toward her flat, enjoying the power and responsiveness of the Mercedes but still feeling a little down.All too soon they were back at her flat.Automatically she asked Strike to come in for coffee but he said no.“Have early morning surveillance tomorrow,” he told her.She wondered if that was an excuse but she decided to take him at his word and thanked him for a lovely evening.“The last event is my work party,” she told him.“My office is close to Matt’s and we are having it at a restaurant he patronizes often.I’ll text you the details tomorrow.”

“Ok,” he told her.“Thanks for a nice evening, Robin.”And he was gone, back to wherever rich men go after they leave their pretend date.Robin sighed and got ready for bed.

******************************

Christmas was in the air two weeks later when the day of Robin’s office Christmas party arrived.She, like everyone else, left at lunchtime to get ready.They all were supposed to wear a Christmas sweater to the party.Robin had been torn between picking something tasteful and something silly.She had finally settled on a red cashmere sweater covered with a few ornate white snowflakes to wear with grey tweed slacks and a pair of black kitten heels.It was festive without being over-the-top.She hadn’t talked to Strike in two weeks although they had texted back and forth about the party venue, the dress code and when he would pick her up.She felt quite nervous as the time for him to arrive at her flat for the party drew closer.This was her last chance to get Matthew back.She refused to think about the fact that it was her last “date” with Strike as well.

The afternoon hours crawled by.Robin got ready and was fretting over her hair and makeup when the door buzzer went off.Strike was early.She hurried to the door and checked to see who was outside.Yes, it was Cormoran Strike, his hair and the shoulders of his heavy winter coat powdered with a few large snowflakes.Squaring her shoulders, Robin opened the door.

“You are a bit early,” she said.“Want some tea while I finish getting ready?I just made a pot.”

He said yes, so she poured him the last of the tea she’d made as she fretted over her appearance.She told him to hang up his coat and make himself at home as she finished her makeup.He took his mug of tea to her cozy sofa and sat down, looking around her flat.She could see him in the bathroom mirror as she added mascara, sipping his tea, his head leaning back against the sofa cushions.He looked tired, she thought.She wondered about his life, whether he worked long hours.Perhaps he had a girlfriend who kept him up nights.She knew very little about him, after all, not even whether he had a girlfriend now.This party should not last long, so maybe he could have an early night, she thought as she applied red lipstick.There, she was ready.Grabbing her purse and phone from the bedroom, she went back into her living area.Strike was sitting there, holding his mug, deep in thought but he smiled at her and she smiled back.

“Ready?” she asked.“I just need my coat.”

“In a second,” he said, standing.“I wanted to give you a little Christmas gift to wear at the party.”He pulled a small cardboard box from his pocket and handed it to her.Robin put her purse down and took it.“You didn’t have to give me a Christmas gift,” she said.

“But I wanted to, and it’ll make things seem more realistic if I have gifted you something for Christmas.”Robin opened the box to find a delicate gold dragonfly on a thin gold chain.It was feminine and lovely and a sweet gesture.“Thank you,” she whispered.“Put it on me?”She turned her back and held up her hair so he could fasten the necklace around her neck.She was smiling but with her back to Strike she didn’t see how close he came to kissing the nape of her neck after settling the necklace there.

Strike's phone beeped.He took it from his pocket and looked at it."The cab's here.Parking will be impossible around the restaurant so I thought a cab would be more practical.Ready?”Robin nodded and grabbed her coat and gloves, following Strike out of her flat.He closed and checked her door for her, then walked her to the black cab where he opened the door for her and ushered her in.He went around the cab to the other side, then got in. 

Robin looked over at him, marveling at how her view of him had changed since they’d met in his office when she proposed this crazy scheme.She’d thought him stern and not very attractive then, but now she had learned to read the slight changes of his expression, discovered how insightful and intelligent he was, noticed his care for her comfort when they were out together.She also had noticed the firm muscles of his arm and shoulder when he ushered her into the cab or a restaurant.She wondered if he’d dance with her tonight.Then she frowned.He wasn’t wearing any Christmas attire.She decided she didn’t care.

“What?” he said, noticing.God, the man was observant.She had to remind herself he was a detective first and foremost.

“No Santa sweater?” she asked.He had a three quarters zip sweater under his coat.It was open enough to show he wore a button down shirt underneath.He grinned at her and pulled something from his pocket.It was a Santa hat.Robin laughed.

“I’ve got this, too.”He pulled a tiny sprig of something from his other coat pocket. It was mistletoe.“If your ex is at the restaurant I’ll hold it over your head and kiss you.If that’s ok?”She thought he looked a tad anxious.

“Of course it’s ok.That should seal the deal as far as Matt is concerned.He knows I am shy about physical affection in public.”

“Are you?” Strike asked.

She felt embarrassed.“Matt was my only serious boyfriend.I’m not very experienced with men. I've never even kissed anyone else.”

He took her hand and brought it up to his lips where he gently kissed her knuckles.“Doesn’t matter.If you don’t want me to kiss you, of course I won’t.”

“No, I’d like you to kiss me,” she said.She looked earnestly into his dark eyes, willing him to understand that she’d love him to kiss her.She leaned a bit toward him, but at that moment the cab stopped and the driver announced they were there.Strike got out, paid him and helped her out of the cab.Robin felt a little foolish to have nearly kissed a near stranger, particularly one she had hired to escort her to events to make Matt jealous. She had been silly to even think of it.But looking at Strike who was smiling down at her as she walked into the restaurant on his arm, she didn’t feel at all sorry about what she had done.If nothing else, Strike had shown her that Matt and his kind weren’t the only sort of men in the world. 

They stopped at the reservation desk to be directed to Robin’s Christmas party.Then Strike dropped off their coats at the coat check, taking his Santa hat from his pocket.Robin noticed he put the sprig of mistletoe in his pants pocket, then added the Santa hat to his head at a jaunty angle, giving the coat check girl a cheeky grin as he did so.The girl looked a little stunned, obviously a bit dazzled by this big sexy man. Robin knew the feeling but for tonight Strike was all hers so she laced her fingers in his and walked into the restaurant with him smiling down at her. 

The office party was in full swing when they arrived.The party was on the balcony, so that Robin and her co-workers were visible to everyone on the main floor.There was Christmas music, liquor flowing, and several people were already dancing or indulging in too much alcohol. Strike escorted Robin to the bar and got her a glass of white wine and himself a whisky.They sipped at their drinks, Robin nodding to co-workers and introducing Strike to her boss when he stopped by for a word.Robin saw how everyone looked him over and how well he bore up under their scrutiny.She hoped that she would be as cool as he the first time someone took her home to introduce them to his family.She touched her new dragonfly pendant, giving herself a confidence boost by knowing that he’d picked it out for her.

When the dance music started, he took her out on the dance floor.She knew he had an artificial leg but you wouldn’t know it from his dancing.She did notice that he didn’t move his feet much, just his upper body, but being next to him was certainly doing a lot to her libido.She felt free to flirt with her eyes, to lean into him, to enjoy his arm around her waist.When the music ended, she asked if he’d like to sit and get something to eat.He nodded and allowed Robin to lead him to a table next to the railing that made them quite visible to anyone below on the main restaurant floor.A waiter appeared and Strike ordered a variety of appetizers and another round of drinks.They nibbled on their food, talking about inconsequential things due to the press of people and the chatter.Robin noticed Matthew out of the corner of her eye down on the main floor.She leaned toward Strike and quietly alerted him.

“Time for the mistletoe?” he asked.

“Give him two more minutes.Looks like he’s heading towards the stairs.”They waited, then Robin leaned toward Strike and said, “Now.”Strike grinned at her, took the mistletoe from his pocket and stood. Robin rose also.Strike held the mistletoe just over her head and kissed her, starting out gentle but moving closer and putting his arm around her waist and pulling her into him.People around them were smiling.Robin shut her eyes and concentrated on being kissed as she’d never been kissed before.Now she got why Strike was so popular with beauties.The man was a great kisser.He broke contact and just looked at her.She looked back.He looked as shaken as she felt.“Ok?” he asked.She wasn’t able to form words so she just nodded.“Shall we go?” he asked her.She nodded again. 

Strike went to the bar to pay their bill.Robin collected her bag and turned toward the stairs, intending to wait for Strike at the top.Matt was right there, staring at her.“Oh, hello,” she said, not really paying him much attention. 

Matt was scowling.“What do you think you are doing?” he hissed.

Robin frowned.“What are you talking about? And why are you here?This is my office Christmas party.You weren’t invited.”

“You are making a spectacle of yourself,” Matt said angrily. 

“Not any of your business,” Robin shot back.“We are over, Matt. You walked out, remember?”She saw Strike coming back from the bar.She turned away, but Matt grabbed her arm.Strike was there in an instant, looking thunderous.He loomed over Matt, who was not short, but who seemed unnerved to be confronted by such a large, angry man and let go of her arm.All Strike said was, “Ready?” to Robin, though.Taking her hand, he led her down the stairs, leaving Matthew at the top, glaring after them.

“Are you all right?” Strike asked her, pulling her close in a protective way.

“Yes,” Robin said.“But I’d like to go home now.”

Strike pulled out his phone and texted something.“The cab’s on the way.I’ll get our coats.”He walked to the coat check place and handed over his ticket.The girl brought their coats.Strike helped Robin into hers, then pulled his on.Robin glanced anxiously back up at the balcony.Matthew was still there, staring down at them.Strike saw the direction of her gaze and told her he’d see her safely home.Robin smiled.“Thanks.I didn’t expect he’d be so angry.”

“He knows he was an idiot to cheat on you.He’s taking out his temper on you.”Strike put her arm through his and led her out to the sidewalk where he removed his Santa hat and stuffed it in his pocket.Robin was happy to see a black cab appear almost immediately.Strike put her in the back, then got in beside her.He gave the driver her address.The trip to her flat was silent.When they arrived, Strike paid off the cab and told Robin he’d see her inside.“I’ll take the train home.”

“Want some coffee?” she asked.The weather was turning, getting colder and feeling damp.Strike said that would be nice and followed Robin into her flat.She set the coffee maker going and rummaged in her cupboard until she found a small sample size of brandy she’d gotten for making fruitcake.While the coffee brewed, she put a bit in each mug, then poured the hot coffee on top.Strike took it gratefully.Robin sat on the couch next to him, sipping her coffee.

“Cormoran, thanks for everything.I think we are done.Will you send me a bill next week for the outstanding expenses?” 

“Are you sure?You haven’t had him ask you to come back yet, have you?”

“No, but I’ve changed my mind about that.Going places with another man, with you, has taught me a lot.I didn’t realize how self-centered Matt was, not even when he cheated on me.If it had been him taking me out to eat or to a play or my office holiday party, it wouldn’t have been nearly as pleasant.I would have spent all my time making sure he enjoyed himself, making sure he was presented in the best light.I really owe you.”

“You surprised me, Robin,” Strike admitted.“I thought it was a crazy scheme, I’ll admit that, but it played out the way you thought it would for the most part and I certainly had a good time hanging out with you.I don’t really feel right about charging you for this.”

“A deal is a deal,” Robin pointed out.“You did more than I paid you for anyway.”Strike took a last drink from his coffee mug, then sat it on the coffee table. 

“Well, then, I guess I’ll head home.Are you sure you’ll be all right?Matthew won’t come here?”

“I don’t think so.If he does I just won’t let him in.”

“Good, but if he hammers on the door or does anything frightening, call the police.No, call me.”

“You live half way across London!”

“I’ll still get here faster than the police.”

“Thanks, but I’m a big girl.I can take care of myself.”

“I don’t doubt it, but I was thinking of branching out into being a bodyguard for beautiful women, expand my resume.So I could use a reference from a satisfied client.”

Robin snorted with laughter.“I’m not beautiful.You said it yourself,I’m ‘very good-looking.’”

“I think I might have been wrong about that.”

“Really?” Robin said, leaning a bit closer to Strike and looking straight into his eyes.

“Really,” he told her, moving a bit closer to her himself.“Robin?”

“Yes, Cormoran?”

“Would you go on a date with me next week, the next time I have a free evening?”

“A date?”

“Yes, a date.To a pub for dinner maybe?Nothing fancy, just a place where we can eat and talk.”

“That sounds nice actually.”

“Good.Does that mean you will?”

“On one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“I want you to kiss me again.”

“I can do that,” Strike said.And he did.


End file.
